1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a ii method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to an LCD panel and a method of manufacturing the same which are capable of fully curing a sealant within the LCD panel through blanket exposure.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes two substrates, in each of which an electric field generation electrode is formed. Surfaces in which the two electrodes are formed are disposed to face each other, and liquid crystal material is injected between the two substrates. The LCD displays an image by controlling transmittance of light which varies according to liquid crystal molecules which are moved by an electric field generated by supplying voltage to the two electrodes.
The LCD panel of a conventional LCD comprises a lower substrate including a plurality of elements, an upper substrate including color filters, and a sealant interposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate in order to adhere the two substrates.
The sealant is used to attach the two substrates to each other by curing curable resin using heat or ultraviolet rays. A method of curing the curable resin using heat includes a method of baking the curable resin by applying heat to the curable resin or a method of curing the curable resin using heat generated by pressurizing the two substrates in order to produce the sealant.
A method using a UV curable resin includes a method of coating the UV curable resin between the two substrates and radiating UV light to the UV curable resin so that the UV curable resin is cured by the UV light. The method using a UV curable resin has recently been widely used in order to form a sealant.
The method of forming a sealant using a UV curable resin is advantageous in that it can form the sealant within a relatively short period of time through a chemical reaction of ultraviolet rays emitted from a UV curing apparatus and can also cure the UV curable resin at low temperature.
The method of forming a sealant using a UV curable resin is also advantageous in that it can reduce the energy costs because, unlike the method using heat, baking is not required when curing the UV curable resin.
Meanwhile, the conventional method of curing a UV curable resin using ultraviolet rays comprises a method of curing the UV curable resin interposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate through the lower substrate from the lower portion of the lower substrate.
In this method, after a chromium oxide (CrOx) film for covering circuit lines is deposited, a black matrix is formed on the entire surface of a circuit area through, for example, photoresist and etching processes. Accordingly, the UV curable resin cannot be cured through the upper substrate because the upper substrate does not transmit ultraviolet rays. For the above reason, in the prior art, the method of curing a UV curable resin through the lower substrate is used.
The black matrix is not formed in the lower substrate of the conventional LCD panel, but a plurality of the circuit lines for driving an LCD panel is formed in the lower substrate of the conventional LCD panel.
In the case in which the two substrates are attached to each other by curing the UV curable resin provided in a seal area, although ultraviolet rays are radiated through the lower substrate, the UV curable resin is not sufficiently radiated with the ultraviolet rays because of the circuit lines. Accordingly, there is a problem in that some areas of the UV curable resin are not cured.
Furthermore, if the time that it takes to radiate the ultraviolet rays is increased in order to sufficiently cure the UV curable resin, the time that it takes to cure the UV curable resin is increased. Accordingly, problems arise because the tact time of the LCD panel is increased, and so the product output is reduced.
There is another problem in that space is limited in designing the circuit area in order to increase the amount of UV radiation in the case in which the ultraviolet rays are radiated through the lower substrate.
The above information disclosed in this “Related Art” section is only for enhancement of an understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.